Decreased metabolic syndrome risk is associated with high intakes of fruits and vegetables.
This study evaluated the relationship between the consumption of fruits and vegetables and plasma levels of C-reactive, and the development metabolic syndrome. Researchers examined the dietary data of 486 female subjects between the ages of 40-60 years residing in the Iranian capital city of Tehran. The blood pressure, plasma levels of C-reactive protein, and relevant anthropometric and biochemical variables were measured in all the subjects.
Researchers discovered that regular consumers of fruits and vegetables had low levels of C-reactive proteins (biomarker of inflammation) in their blood. Metabolic syndrome risk was found to be reduced by 30% in frequent consumers of vegetables and 34% in habitual consumers of fruits. The results of this study show that consuming large quantities of fruits and vegetables may cut down an individual’s risk of developing metabolic syndrome.